Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what research he has commissioned into distinguishing between goods produced in (a) the Occupied West Bank and (b) Green line Israel through scientific means.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
As I told the House and the Business and Trade Select Committee, we are actively considering a ban on trade with and from the illegal settlements, but we have not commissioned such research.
Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff preferences under the UK–Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement. To ensure goods were not produced in any non-eligible settlement, HMRC requires importers claiming preference to make a legal declaration stating the goods’ origin. Where HMRC is not satisfied that the requirements are met, preferential tariff is denied and proportionate compliance action is taken (warning letters first, followed by monetary civil penalties).
HMRC takes an intelligence-led approach to verify the origin of goods but does not provide specific details regarding checks, as it may serve to undermine enforcement and compliance activities.
The UK Government also encourages accurate labelling of goods to avoid misleading consumers and promote transparency.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to improve the delivery performance of first class letters in the North East region.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government has been clear that Royal Mail’s quality of service has not been good enough.
Responsibility for improving local delivery performance lies with Royal Mail’s management. Royal Mail has published a quality of service improvement plan alongside a £500 million investment into frontline resourcing.
I have met with Royal Mail and Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to discuss concerns about delivery performance and will continue to make representations to ensure that customers receive the service they are entitled to.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the British Business Bank on supporting access to capital for women‑led and ethnic minority‑led businesses.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The British Business Bank has numerous new and successful programmes to support access to capital for underrepresented groups, including:
The Bank is also a founding signatory to the Investing in Women Code.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of regional distribution of venture capital investment; and what steps she is taking to increase investment flows to the North East.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The number of equity deals in the North East increased 8.6% year on year in 2024, to 63 deals. Comparatively, London’s dominance of the UK equity market reduced slightly in 2024, with the share of deals in the capital dropping from 50.8% to 47.1% year-on-year, while the proportion of investment was 61.2% in 2024 – a reduction from 61.9% in the previous year, and from 73.3% in 2020.
The Government is addressing regional disparities in access to finance through the Nations and Regions Investment Funds, with businesses in the North East eligible for debt and equity finance from the £660 million Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
North East businesses are also set to benefit from the British Business Bank’s Cluster Champions programme, which will help strengthen financial networks and connect high-potential firms in the eight Industrial Strategy priority sectors to investors, while also providing an additional £100 million of investment.
We have also expanded the Regional Angels Programme, helping improve access to early-stage equity across the UK.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether funding programmes are available to support inclusive founding teams in (a) technology, (b) creative industries, (c) green energy and (d) other high‑growth sectors.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government provides a range of available funding programmes to support inclusive founding teams across high-growth sectors. For example, Innovate UK provides specialised funding through initiatives such as its £101 million Clean Growth Fund, and other sector-specific grant giving competitions for technology, and creative innovation.
Other programmes include the British Business Bank’s Future Fund for investment in Life Science and Deep Tech, and its Start Up Loans programme which has supported a high proportion of inclusive founding teams (with around 40% of its beneficiaries being women, and around 20% from ethnic minority backgrounds).
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 85759, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Israeli measures to extend control of areas in the West Bank on the Government's ability to identify the declared origin of goods.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The UK is clear that Israel's illegal settlements, and decisions designed to further them, are a flagrant violation of international law. We will take concrete steps, in accordance with international law, to counter settlement expansion, and to challenge policies and threats of forcible displacement and annexation. As previously stated, where there are doubts about the declared origin of goods, HMRC undertakes checks to verify the origin and ensure fiscal compliance.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of potential impact of the new US vehicle connectivity rules on UK automotive exports to the US; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Given that the software rules apply from Model Year 2027 and the hardware rules from 2029, many manufacturers are still assessing their supply chains and how to remain compliant. This information is commercially sensitive, so I cannot comment on individual plans, but we continue to engage closely with UK industry to understand emerging impacts. The Government worked extensively with manufacturers during the US rule’s development and submitted a private response to the consultation. We remain committed to ongoing industry engagement and to working with the US and likeminded partners to ensure that any new measures do not create barriers between allies.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2025 to Question 85759 on Imports: Israel, how his Department determines whether there are doubts about the declared origin of goods.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
HMRC takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement but does not provide specific details regarding checks, as it may serve to undermine compliance activity.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 83308 on Export Controls: Israel, whether his Department has considered introducing a formal (a) certification and (b) verification mechanism for importers to demonstrate that goods originating from Israel are not produced in illegal settlements.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law. Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences. Where there are doubts about the declared origin of goods, HMRC undertakes checks to verify the origin and ensure fiscal compliance. Separately, we are conducting a review of Responsible Business Conduct, focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK, as outlined in our Trade Strategy.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to develop a national strategy to secure aluminium as a critical raw material for the economy.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Building on the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre’s updated 2024 criticality assessment in which aluminium was designated a critical mineral due to supply chain risks and economic vulnerability, the Government has been working with industry to publish a new Critical Minerals Strategy this year. This will focus on securing vital materials for economic growth, national security, and the clean energy transition. The Strategy will refine our approach to domestic production and target UK strengths to support business resilience.